This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Elon Musk is in advanced talks to combine SpaceX with xAI, according to people familiar with the discussions, a move that could reflect how the cost of pursuing artificial intelligence at scale is stretching the limits of any single Musk-controlled company. The two companies have informed some investors about the potential transaction, with people close to...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Elon Musk is in advanced talks to combine SpaceX with xAI, according to people familiar with the discussions, a move that could reflect how the cost of pursuing artificial intelligence at scale is stretching the limits of any single Musk-controlled company. The two companies have informed some investors about the potential transaction, with people close to the matter saying an agreement could be announced as soon as this week, though negotiations are ongoing and could still take longer or fall apart. Representatives for SpaceX and xAI did not respond to requests for comment, underscoring the private and unfinished nature of the talks. The financial backdrop appears central to the rationale. xAI raised funding at a $200 billion valuation in September and has been burning roughly $1 billion per month, while SpaceX was preparing to proceed with a share sale in December at a valuation of about $800 billion. By pairing a capital-intensive AI startup with a more mature aerospace and satellite business, Musk may be looking to pool resources and blur corporate boundaries as his long-term technology ambitions become increasingly expensive to pursue. Operationally, a merged structure could also reshape leadership and strategy. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's longtime president and chief operating officer, is seen as one possible figure to help run a combined organization, while Anthony Armstrong, named CFO of xAI in October, already serves the same role at X and previously helped execute Musk's $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform. The talks come as SpaceX has filed for permission to deploy as many as one million satellites, a plan tied to Musk's vision of space-based data centers, and as Bloomberg has reported that SpaceX has also discussed the feasibility of a tie-up with Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), even while it looks toward a potential initial public offering that could value the company at about $1.5 trillion.
Federal immigration agents are using facial recognition technology that draws from US government biometric databases containing more than 1.2 billion face images, according to federal records reviewed by Bloomberg News. The vast repository is maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and other DHS units pulling images while det...
Federal immigration agents are using facial recognition technology that draws from US government biometric databases containing more than 1.2 billion face images, according to federal records reviewed by Bloomberg News. The vast repository is maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and other DHS units pulling images while detaining suspected undocumented immigrants and American protesters. DHS personnel use an app called Mobile Fortify, which draws facial recognition and fingerprint data from multiple government databases, according to DHS records. Across the country, federal agents are using Mobile Fortify’s facial recognition technology on citizens and noncitizens alike during arrests, and in confrontations with protesters where no one is arrested. The agency’s use of facial recognition and other surveillance technologies has come under increasing scrutiny after agents fatally shot two demonstrators in Minneapolis and have been accused of rogue methods against scores of others. The number of images in DHS databases hasn’t been previously reported. The app has been used more than 100,000 times since its launch in June 2025, according to a lawsuit brought by the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago earlier this month against DHS. The department retains photos and fingerprint scans for 15 years, and uses that data to track and identify immigrants, American citizens and protesters, according to the Illinois lawsuit. Neither DHS nor ICE immediately responded to requests for comment. The facial recognition searches tap into DHS’s two primary biometric databases: Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology, or HART, and Automated Biometric Identification System, or IDENT, according to DHS’s Office of Biometric Identity Management. HART held biometric data on 270 million individuals when it launched in 2023, according to DHS budget documents reviewed by Bloomberg News, a number that is expected to ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Credit markets are quietly becoming the financial backbone of the artificial intelligence build-out, as estimates from Morgan Stanley and Moody's Ratings suggest at least $3 trillion of capital spending will be needed for data centers and related infrastructure in the coming years, with JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) projecting more than $5 trillion once power genera...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Credit markets are quietly becoming the financial backbone of the artificial intelligence build-out, as estimates from Morgan Stanley and Moody's Ratings suggest at least $3 trillion of capital spending will be needed for data centers and related infrastructure in the coming years, with JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) projecting more than $5 trillion once power generation is included. Even the largest technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft and Meta Platforms, do not appear positioned to fund that scale of investment using internal cash alone, pushing borrowers toward a broad mix of debt markets. Bank of America estimates AI-related companies raised at least $200 billion through debt last year, likely an undercount given the volume of private deals, with issuance expected to climb into the hundreds of billions of dollars in 2026, a trend that could gradually influence borrowing costs across the wider corporate market. This funding wave is unfolding as equity portfolios are already heavily tilted toward AI-linked stocks, with the Magnificent 7 which include Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) accounting for about a third of the S&P 500's value, making diversification increasingly difficult. JPMorgan credit strategists note that bond portfolios, which historically moved more closely with interest rates and bank performance, could now become more correlated with the operating fortunes of large technology companies as AI debt issuance expands. Morgan Stanley expects $250 billion to $300 billion of debt issuance in 2026 from hyperscalers and related joint ventures alone, while off-balance-sheet project finance structures backed by long-term leases are emerging as a key mechanism to fund massive data-center projects without overwhelming corporate balance sheets. Still, the breadth and complexity of this lending boom is introducing risks that investors are beginning to scrutinize ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) began the new year under renewed pressure in Europe, as fresh registration data pointed to a sharp pullback in several of the region's most important electric-vehicle markets. In France, January sales fell 42% year over year to 661 vehicles, marking the lowest monthly total in more than three years, according to industry data from the P...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) began the new year under renewed pressure in Europe, as fresh registration data pointed to a sharp pullback in several of the region's most important electric-vehicle markets. In France, January sales fell 42% year over year to 661 vehicles, marking the lowest monthly total in more than three years, according to industry data from the Plateforme Automobile. The slowdown extended to Norway, where Tesla registrations dropped 88% in January, a notable reversal for a market that had supported the brand's European performance last year. The weak start follows a challenging 2025 across the continent, when Tesla's European sales declined 27% even as overall battery-electric vehicle registrations rose 30%, based on data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. Demand softness has spread across much of Europe, possibly reflecting a mix of political backlash tied to Elon Musk's role in the Trump administration and his support for right-wing figures in markets such as Germany and the UK. At the same time, Tesla is facing intensifying competition from established automakers including Volkswagen and Stellantis, alongside growing pressure from Chinese manufacturers such as BYD (BYDDF) France, which ranked as Europe's third-largest EV market last year behind Germany and the UK, highlighted the extent of the shift in January, with Tesla selling fewer vehicles than Volkswagen's Cupra brand or Stellantis' Jeep. Norway had stood out in 2025, when Tesla registrations rose 41% as buyers accelerated purchases ahead of a policy change, but that support faded after the government tightened value-added tax exemption rules. The policy shift contributed to a 76% drop in total industry sales in January, suggesting Tesla's near-term European performance could remain sensitive to policy adjustments, competitive dynamics, and shifting consumer sentiment.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Waymo, the autonomous driving unit of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), is preparing a major financing round that could raise about $16 billion and value the business at nearly $110 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions. Alphabet is expected to contribute roughly $13 billion of the funding, with the remainder coming from outside investors includ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Waymo, the autonomous driving unit of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), is preparing a major financing round that could raise about $16 billion and value the business at nearly $110 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions. Alphabet is expected to contribute roughly $13 billion of the funding, with the remainder coming from outside investors including Sequoia Capital, DST Global, Dragoneer Investment Group, and Mubadala Capital. The round could close as soon as February, following an October 2024 funding that valued Waymo at more than $45 billion and was led by Alphabet, which also owns Google. Waymo currently operates fully autonomous ride-hailing services without a human safety monitor and charges fares in around half a dozen US cities, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, as well as rides booked through Uber's app in Austin and Atlanta. The company said it has completed more than 20 million trips and remains focused on safety-led operational execution and technological leadership as it looks to meet what it describes as strong demand for autonomous mobility. Waymo plans to expand its commercial service aggressively this year to additional US cities and possibly into the UK. The fundraising effort comes as competition in autonomous ride-hailing continues to intensify. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is planning its own robotaxi service and has limited autonomous operations without a safety monitor in Austin, while Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Zoox operates a purpose-built robotaxi without driver controls on the Las Vegas Strip and is testing in other areas near San Francisco. Bloomberg reported in December that Waymo was seeking to raise around $15 billion at a valuation above $100 billion, suggesting investor interest could be building as multiple players position themselves for scale in autonomous transportation.
The ongoing AI-fueled shortages of memory and storage chips has hit RAM kits and SSDs for PC builders the fastest and hardest, meaning it's likely that, for other products that use these chips, we'll be seeing price hikes for the entire rest of the year, if not for longer. The latest price hike news comes courtesy of Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton, who announced today that the company would be raisin...
The ongoing AI-fueled shortages of memory and storage chips has hit RAM kits and SSDs for PC builders the fastest and hardest, meaning it's likely that, for other products that use these chips, we'll be seeing price hikes for the entire rest of the year, if not for longer. The latest price hike news comes courtesy of Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton, who announced today that the company would be raising prices on most of its single-board computers for the second time in two months. Prices are going up for all Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 boards with 2GB of more of LPDDR4 RAM, including the Compute Module 4 and 5 and the Raspberry Pi 500 computer-inside-a-keyboard. The 2GB boards' pricing will go up by $10, 4GB boards will go up by $15, 8GB boards will go up by $30, and 16GB boards will increase by a whopping $60. Read full article Comments
Matt Cardy/Getty Images News More than 1,200 workers at BAE Systems ( BAESF ) ( BAESY ) in northwest England are preparing to strike from February 2 through at least February 20 after talks over pay and working conditions broke down. The union Unite said the walkouts follow negotiations it described as conducted in bad faith, adding that members had little choice but to escalate the dispute after ...
Matt Cardy/Getty Images News More than 1,200 workers at BAE Systems ( BAESF ) ( BAESY ) in northwest England are preparing to strike from February 2 through at least February 20 after talks over pay and working conditions broke down. The union Unite said the walkouts follow negotiations it described as conducted in bad faith, adding that members had little choice but to escalate the dispute after failing to reach an agreement with the company. More on BAE Systems plc BAE Systems: Underperformance Isn't What It Seems; Here's The Real Story BAE Systems: The Overvaluation Is Clear Rising military budgets are reshaping Europe’s defense industry Germany is said to prepare upgraded 'bunker buster' missile program Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on BAE Systems plc
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) has moved to secure a large pool of capital as it prepares to expand cloud infrastructure capacity tied to accelerating AI demand. The company has launched a US dollar bond offering that could raise roughly $20 billion to $25 billion, forming part of a broader funding plan of about $45 billion to $50 billion that combines debt with...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) has moved to secure a large pool of capital as it prepares to expand cloud infrastructure capacity tied to accelerating AI demand. The company has launched a US dollar bond offering that could raise roughly $20 billion to $25 billion, forming part of a broader funding plan of about $45 billion to $50 billion that combines debt with equity and equity-linked issuance. Oracle has indicated the bond sale will be done as a single issuance and is expected to cover around half of its planned funding for the year, with no additional bond deals anticipated beyond this transaction in 2026. The scale of the financing reflects the intensity of investment required to support contracted cloud demand from some of the world's largest AI and technology players, including Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), OpenAI, TikTok and xAI. People familiar with the deal said Oracle is offering as many as eight bond tranches with maturities ranging from three to 40 years, with initial discussions for the longest-dated bonds pointing to a spread of about 2.25 percentage points above US Treasuries. The transaction is being led by Bank of America, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and JPMorgan, according to those sources. Oracle's renewed presence in the bond market comes after a $18 billion issuance in September that ranked among the largest US corporate deals of the year but has since weakened in secondary trading. Investor focus has increasingly turned to the company's leverage profile, with Oracle now carrying about $95 billion in outstanding debt, making it the largest non-financial issuer in the Bloomberg high-grade index. As AI-related cloud buildouts continue to expand, the company's funding strategy could remain under close scrutiny from credit and equity investors alike.
Key Points Cryptocurrencies continued last week's decline over the weekend. Robinhood is a crypto and options-focused mobile-centric online brokerage. But the stock should recover eventually, as long as it continues to attract more users. 10 stocks we like better than Robinhood Markets › Shares of new-aged online brokerage Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) fell hard on Monday, down 8.7% as of 1:00 ...
Key Points Cryptocurrencies continued last week's decline over the weekend. Robinhood is a crypto and options-focused mobile-centric online brokerage. But the stock should recover eventually, as long as it continues to attract more users. 10 stocks we like better than Robinhood Markets › Shares of new-aged online brokerage Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) fell hard on Monday, down 8.7% as of 1:00 p.m. EDT. There wasn't any company-specific news today, but the online brokerage was down in line with the weekend decline in Bitcoin (OTC: BTC) and other cryptocurrencies, which trade 24/7. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Robinhood has a higher-than-average percentage of its customers trading cryptocurrencies compared to other assets, and its users also have a reputation for trading more risky instruments, such as options. So when cryptocurrencies and other speculative assets crashed on Friday and then continued over the weekend, Robinhood stock fell in sympathy. Robinhood is where the gunslingers trade In the third quarter, Robinhood reported $730 million in transaction-based revenue, of which 37% was from cryptocurrency trading and 42% from options trading. Now, of course, when customers sell cryptocurrencies, that also generates near-term transaction revenue. However, brokerage stocks generally sell off when customer assets decline. The past weekend's crypto rout could also make customers a bit more hesitant to buy many of these risky assets or use volatile options strategies in the near term, which could put a cap on Robinhood's growth going forward in 2026. The cryptocurrency and precious metals rout began on Friday, seemingly in a reaction to President Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh to become the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve. It appears some of Warsh's older interviews and speeches led some to believe he may be more "haw...
adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images Transcript Last week’s corporate earnings from mega-cap tech companies showed massive investments in AI are ongoing. Beyond mega cap tech, we see a clear beneficiary: infrastructure. Most investors could increase their exposure, in our view. 1) A valuation discount Corporate earnings in the fourth quarter show capital spending behind the AI buildout rolling on. This is ...
adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images Transcript Last week’s corporate earnings from mega-cap tech companies showed massive investments in AI are ongoing. Beyond mega cap tech, we see a clear beneficiary: infrastructure. Most investors could increase their exposure, in our view. 1) A valuation discount Corporate earnings in the fourth quarter show capital spending behind the AI buildout rolling on. This is a boon for infrastructure, which has been typically viewed as defensive. Beyond the AI buildout, other mega forces, such as the low-carbon transition, support long-term demand. But valuations do not yet reflect this. On an enterprise value-to-EBITDA basis, publicly listed infrastructure equities trade at a steep discount to their long-term averages. Private infrastructure trades closer to long-term averages, unlike private equity. That helps make infrastructure our preferred growth private asset. 2) Tapping infrastructure exposure Infrastructure is diverse. It spans transport, energy, telecommunications, and water and waste management. And investors can access it through both debt and equity vehicles in public and private markets. Yet, most investors, including large institutions that typically dominate illiquid investments, are underallocated. Our analysis shows that a typical U.S. corporate pension with risk comparable to a 70/30 equity-bond split has infrastructure-like exposure of just 4-5%. We think adding infrastructure holdings is particularly helpful in an inflationary environment like today, where investors need income sources whose value won’t erode over time. Infrastructure cash flows are often supported by regulation and long-term contracts that adjust with inflation. This offers predictable income over the lifespan of investments. 3) Common risks Two risks are commonly cited for infrastructure. First, an AI burst could choke demand for data center and energy infrastructure - though we think this is unlikely. Strong legal protections in infrastructure contracts ...
Key Points SoFi Technologies went public in 2021. It has been growing robustly, as it adds members and offers more services to them. Its stock price isn't exactly cheap, though. 10 stocks we like better than SoFi Technologies › If you're interested in financial stocks, you've probably noticed SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI), perhaps wishing that you bought it long ago. Check out its trailing retu...
Key Points SoFi Technologies went public in 2021. It has been growing robustly, as it adds members and offers more services to them. Its stock price isn't exactly cheap, though. 10 stocks we like better than SoFi Technologies › If you're interested in financial stocks, you've probably noticed SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI), perhaps wishing that you bought it long ago. Check out its trailing returns: Time period Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Average annual return Past year 58.3% Past three years 62.4% Impressive, right? The fintech (financial technology) company only went public via an IPO in June 2021. Take a closer look at its recent returns, though: Time period Average annual return Past month (5.9%) Past three months (15.1%) The stock is actually down a fair amount recently! You might wonder now -- with shares recently below $25 apiece, is this a good time to pounce? Let's see. Meet SoFi Technologies SoFi is a nationally chartered online bank that offers a wide range of finance services, including personal loans, private student loans, mortgage loans, auto loans, student loan refinancing, investing, credit cards, travel services, and even cryptocurrency trading, among other things. It began with a focus on student loan services, but it has clearly expanded. Still, it has retained younger people as its main customers, serving them via the SoFi app and website. Its wide range of services can help it weather an economic downturn better than some other financial companies. The company has also partnered with other companies to reduce its risk exposure. SoFi Technologies has 12.6 million members (and counting), and as it has added services, it has aimed to be a one-stop financial shop. It recently boasted $73 billion-plus in funded loans and $34 billion-plus in debt paid off by members. The company has been growing well, with it...
Apple Prioritizes Premium iPhone Rollout As 'Great Memory Crunch' Tightens Global Supply We have repeatedly warned about the " Great Memory Crunch ," driven by AI data center buildouts absorbing a growing share of global memory supply, and industry insiders now telling consumers and enterprises ( read here ) should accelerate purchases of electronics that use high-bandwidth memory before prices ac...
Apple Prioritizes Premium iPhone Rollout As 'Great Memory Crunch' Tightens Global Supply We have repeatedly warned about the " Great Memory Crunch ," driven by AI data center buildouts absorbing a growing share of global memory supply, and industry insiders now telling consumers and enterprises ( read here ) should accelerate purchases of electronics that use high-bandwidth memory before prices accelerate further, as supply shortages are expected through 2027. One key signal that the memory shortage is worsening is that Apple, one of the world's most valuable companies, is having to prioritize the production and shipment of its three most premium new iPhone models due to the memory crunch , according to a new report by Nikkei Asia . Not even Apple can mitigate the threat of the HBM shortage. Here's more from the report based on industry insiders: The U.S. tech giant will focus on delivering its first-ever foldable iPhone as well as two non-folding models with higher-end cameras and larger displays for its flagship launch in the second half of the year, said four people with knowledge of the matter. The standard iPhone 18 model will be scheduled for shipment in the first half of 2027, they said. The move is intended to optimize resources and maximize revenue and profits from premium models amid surging prices for memory chips and other materials, multiple sources told Nikkei Asia. It is also critical for Apple to minimize any potential production hiccups while mass producing its first-ever foldable iPhone, which requires more complicated industrial techniques and new materials that could require more time to reach required levels of production quality, according to the people. Choosing to focus on premium models in the second half of this year and targeting sales for its relatively standard models in the first half of 2027 could help the company better manage supply chain resources and develop a better and clear marketing strategy, one of the people said. . . . Apple...
Sometimes it is worth waiting to get extra information rather than chasing a stock. In this video, I will discuss four stocks to sell or take profits on before they report earnings. Watch the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were from the trading day of Jan. 30, 2026. The video was published on Feb. 1, 2026.
Sometimes it is worth waiting to get extra information rather than chasing a stock. In this video, I will discuss four stocks to sell or take profits on before they report earnings. Watch the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were from the trading day of Jan. 30, 2026. The video was published on Feb. 1, 2026.
Bloomberg’s Head of Games Joel Weber puts the Bloomberg ETF IQ team to the test, quizzing them on how well they really know the world of ETFs. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg’s Head of Games Joel Weber puts the Bloomberg ETF IQ team to the test, quizzing them on how well they really know the world of ETFs. (Source: Bloomberg)
ARK Invest CEO and CIO Cathie Wood tells Bloomberg that the lines between liquid and illiquid assets are beginning to blur as private markets evolve. Wood adds that while some private companies remain cautious about being held in ETFs, shifting definitions of liquidity, improved secondary-market trading, and deregulation may gradually change that calculus. She joined the discussion on "Bloomberg E...
ARK Invest CEO and CIO Cathie Wood tells Bloomberg that the lines between liquid and illiquid assets are beginning to blur as private markets evolve. Wood adds that while some private companies remain cautious about being held in ETFs, shifting definitions of liquidity, improved secondary-market trading, and deregulation may gradually change that calculus. She joined the discussion on "Bloomberg ETF IQ" with Katie Greifeld, Scarlet Fu and Eric Bulchuanas. (Source: Bloomberg)
RomanBabakin/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Sanofi's venglustat met its primary endpoint in a phase 3 trial for type 3 Gaucher disease but missed its primary goal in another late-stage trial for Fabry disease. In the LEAP2MONO study for Gaucher disease, venglustat, an oral glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in neurological symptoms measured ...
RomanBabakin/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Sanofi's venglustat met its primary endpoint in a phase 3 trial for type 3 Gaucher disease but missed its primary goal in another late-stage trial for Fabry disease. In the LEAP2MONO study for Gaucher disease, venglustat, an oral glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in neurological symptoms measured by the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) modified total score and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) at 52 weeks compared to those on enzyme replacement therapy. Sanofi noted that venglustat also met three out of four secondary endpoints in this study. However, in the PERIDOT study for Fabry disease, there was a similar reduction in neuropathic and abdominal pain in the active treatment and placebo groups. Sanofi said it would file applications for venglustat in the Gaucher disease setting with global health regulators. More on Sanofi Sanofi (SAN:CA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Sanofi 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Sanofi (SAN:CA) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Transcript Sanofi anticipates profitable growth to continue over at least five years Sanofi Non-GAAP EPS of €1.53 beats by €0.06, revenue of €11.3B beats by €170M; issues FY26 outlook
The US’s closely watched jobs report will once again be delayed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced on Monday, amid a government shutdown. The January 2026 jobs report, originally scheduled to be released on Friday, will be rescheduled when federal funding resumes. Data collection for the report has been completed, but the shutdown has forced a delay to releasing the report, which will...
The US’s closely watched jobs report will once again be delayed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced on Monday, amid a government shutdown. The January 2026 jobs report, originally scheduled to be released on Friday, will be rescheduled when federal funding resumes. Data collection for the report has been completed, but the shutdown has forced a delay to releasing the report, which will provide crucial jobs data on the US labor market following the weakest year for job growth since 2020, with the addition of only 584,000 jobs in 2025 compared to 2 million in 2024. “The Employment Situation release for January 2026 will not be released as scheduled on Friday, February 6, 2026. The release will be rescheduled upon the resumption of government funding,” Emily Liddel, associate commissioner of the BLS, said in a statement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has already been faced with significant delays and setbacks resulting from the longest federal government shutdown in US history, 43 days in October and November. Federal funding lapsed on Sunday following a standoff in Congress over restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the killings of two 37-year-old US citizens by federal agents last month. Democratic senators are refusing to vote for a bill authorizing continued spending by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding the bill be rewritten to include new restrictions and guardrails on ICE agents. On Friday, the Senate passed five separate measures to fund government agencies through September and a two week funding bill for DHS, which must be voted on in the House. House Democrats have so far not guaranteed the votes to pass the funding measure. Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, claimed the House Republicans have enough votes on their own to reopen the government by Tuesday.
What can we expect from incoming Fed head Kevin Warsh ? I intimated in an X post Saturday that I would discuss the Warsh situation. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he picked Warsh, a former Fed governor from 2006-2011, to succeed Jerome Powell as chairman of the central bank. Powell, whose term as Fed chief ends in May, has been the president's punching bag on interest rates almost...
What can we expect from incoming Fed head Kevin Warsh ? I intimated in an X post Saturday that I would discuss the Warsh situation. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he picked Warsh, a former Fed governor from 2006-2011, to succeed Jerome Powell as chairman of the central bank. Powell, whose term as Fed chief ends in May, has been the president's punching bag on interest rates almost since Trump nominated him in his first term in the White House. As for Warsh, I don't know the man. I did know that Warsh, as a Fed governor, was on the side of the hawks back in 2007, which I was thinking about in my now-clairvoyant rant , "They know nothing," at the time. But when the Fed's actual transcript came out five years later, it was Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart who ridiculed me for my disbelief that anyone on the Fed would stay tight in 2007 — the worst time to be tight other than 1931 — and Warsh did not pile on, although the transcript did mention "laughter" in the room after Lockhart trashed me. But that's just personal. Business? It sounds like Warsh will be practical as our country's economy is being propelled by the great data center buildout and the concomitant energy extravaganza. When you are building $30 billion to $50 billion data centers, you are employing a lot of people, even if there aren't a lot of humans working in a completed data center. Making the rounds on television with an eye for the Fed job back in the summer, Warsh appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on July 17 . He sounded in sync with the president's desire for lower rates. "AI is going to make almost everything cost less," Warsh explained. "We could be at the front end of a productivity boom. If I were the president, I would be worried that they [the Powell-led Federal Reserve] might not see it. They might think economic growth is somehow going to be inflationary. I think we are in the early innings of a structural decline in prices." Warsh was highly critical of Powell in that ...
If you think the stock market could fall in 2026, it might seem counterintuitive to load up on growth stocks . Investors tend to gravitate toward income and value stocks during times of uncertainty because these companies are priced more for their existing earnings than their potential earnings. But if you are a long-term investor who plans to hold stocks for three years, five years, or even decad...
If you think the stock market could fall in 2026, it might seem counterintuitive to load up on growth stocks . Investors tend to gravitate toward income and value stocks during times of uncertainty because these companies are priced more for their existing earnings than their potential earnings. But if you are a long-term investor who plans to hold stocks for three years, five years, or even decades, then market sell-offs can present impeccable buying opportunities despite the pain of volatility. The key is to find companies with the fundamentals needed to endure downturns. And a good place to start is with industry leaders like the "Magnificent Seven," which are the seven largest tech-focused S&P 500 companies by market cap. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are two Magnificent Seven names that could pull back amid a broader market sell-off, especially if it's tied to artificial intelligence (AI) . But looking out over the long term, these companies stand out as solid buys even in today's premium-priced market. Continue reading
While the president may play down the significance of these elections, his name won't be on the ballot in November, either. And the outcome of those midterm elections will be critical to determining how the remainder of his second term plays out.
While the president may play down the significance of these elections, his name won't be on the ballot in November, either. And the outcome of those midterm elections will be critical to determining how the remainder of his second term plays out.